Grenade round with telescoping rifled barrel



Feb. 4, 1964 E. M. HARVEY 3,120,186

GRENADE ROUND WITH TELESCOPING RIFLED BARREL Filed July 2, 1962 12 F1 gr 1. 4 16 Fig? INVENTOR. Eufle NIH-111w y 1%. @194; 9 a Qwf United States Patent 3,120,186 GRENADE ROUND WETH TELESCOPING RllFLED BARREL Earle M. Harvey, Agawanz, Mass, assignor to the United States of America as represented by the decretary of the Army Filed July 2, 1962, Ser. No. 207,482 1 Elairn. (Cl. 102-38) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), see. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to grenade launchers and more particularly to those grenade launchers such as are disclosed in the patent application, Serial Number 112,125, for a oemiautomatic Grenade Launcher by Stanley D. Silsby wherein a grenade is included as part of a round having a case which provides an integral barrel for directing the initial flight thereof while being energized by a propellant also contained in the round.

With such a grenade round the cases have considerable bulk to cause storage and carrying problems as the front end of the case must extend far enough forwardly of the nose of the grenade to eifectively act as a barrel therefor.

It is therefore the object of this invention to provide such a grenade round with a telescopic case to facilitate the storage and the carrying thereof.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a partially cross-sectioned elevational view of the grenade round prior to discharge;

FIG. 2 is a similar view of the round after discharge with the barrel section extended relative to the supporting section and the energized grenade positioned forwardly from the normal chambered position thereof;

FIG. 3 is a view of the rear end of the case; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view taken along line 44 of FIG. 1.

Shown in the drawings is a grenade round 12 which includes a cylindrical case 14 having a supporting section 16 and a barrel section 18 mounted therein for forward telescopic projection relative thereto. Barrel section 18 is rifled as noted at 20 and a grenade 22 is chambered in the rear end of the barrel section. Provided on grenade 22 is a rotating band 24 which is engraved to en age with rifling 20 so as to impart rotation to the grenade during passage along barrel section 18.

Formed on the rear end of barrel section 18 is an external rim 26 which has an outside diameter similar to the inside diameter of supporting section 16. Rim 26 has a front face 28 which is square relative to the longitudinal axis of barrel section 18 and which is knurled for a purpose to be explained hereinafter.

Provided around the front end of supporting section 16 is an internal flange 30 which forms a circular opening 32 the diameter of which is similar to the outside diameter of barrel section 18. Flange 30 has a rear face 34 which is square relative to the longitudinal axis of supporting section 16 and is also knurled so that when in contact with front face 28 the barrel section is prevented from rotating relative to the supporting section.

Supporting section 16 is provided with a base 36 in which there is provided a firing pin initiated primer 38 for detonating a propellant charge 39 so as to energize grenade 22 for forward displacement. Also formed in the outside face of base 36 is a cross-slot 49 which is engageable by suitable launcher structure 42 for preventing rotation of supporting section 16 relative thereto.

Round 12 is stored and carried with barrel section 18 telescoped into supporting section 16. Upon discharge of round 12, the energy of propellant charge 39 is transferred to grenade 22 causing the grenade and barrel section 18 to be propelled forwardly relative to supporting section 16. The forward displacement of barrel section 13 is held translational through the support of rim 26 and flange 31?. When front face 23 contacts rear face 34, the forward displacernnt of barrel section 18 is stopped with grenade 22. now moving therealong. With front face 28 and rear face being knurled and with supporting section 16 being held against rotation relative to launcher structure 42 by means of cross-slot 41D, barrel section 18 is prevented from rotation so that the engagement of rifing 2th with rotating band 24 causes rotation of grenade 22 as it passes along the barrel section. Because of the square alignment of front face 28 and rear face 34 and the pressure holding them in contact, barrel section 18 is held straight relative to supporting section 16 during passage of grenade 22 from the barrel section.

From the foregoing it is clearly apparent that there is provided herein a grenade round which saves space in storage and while being carried by providing a telescopic case to reduce the length thereof.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail herein, it is evident that many variations may be devised within the spirit and scope thereof and the following claim is intended to include such variations.

I claim:

A grenade round including a cylindrical telescopic case provided with a supporting section and a barrel section mounted in said supporting section for forward sliding projection relative thereto, a grenade chambered in said barrel section, rifing in said barrel section, a rotating band on said grenade engraved to engage said rifling, means for energizing said grenade and said barrel section for forward projection relative to said supporting section, a base on said supporting section, means formed in said base for cooperating with launcher structure to prevent angular displacement relative thereto, and cooperating means on said barrel section and said supporting section for preventing relative angular displacement therebetween during movement of said grenade along said barrel section, said cooperating means including an external rim on the rear end of said barrel section, an internal flange formed on the front end of said supporting section and a knurled front face on said rim contactable with a knurled front face on said flange when said barrel section is forwardly projected relative to said supporting section.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 811,048 Friedel Jan. 30, 1906 2,315,753 Long Apr. 6, 1943 2,382,152 Jakobsson Aug. 14, 1945 2,481,546 Walker Sept. 13, 1949 2,756,634 Allen et al July 31, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 549,181 Germany Apr. 25, 1932 

